• AUD/JPY remains stronger as hot Australian inflation boosts RBA rate hike expectations.
• Australia’s Consumer Price Index rose 3.8% YoY in January; Trimmed Mean hit 3.4% YoY.
• The Japanese Yen slumped after Mainichi reported Japanese PM Takaichi questioned further BoJ rate hikes.

AUD/JPY extends its gains for the second successive session, trading around 110.10 during the Asian hours on Wednesday. The Australian Dollar (AUD) receives support against its major peers as hotter-than-expected Australian inflation data fueled expectations of additional interest rate hikes by the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) this year.

Australia’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 3.8% year-over-year (YoY) in January, matching the previous reading and exceeding market expectations of 3.7%. The CPI increased 0.4% month-over-month (MoM) in January, easing from 1.0% previously. The RBA’s Trimmed Mean CPI for January rose 0.3% MoM and 3.4% YoY, respectively.

Traders will likely observe the speech from the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) Governor Michele Bullock, who is set to speak at a fireside chat at the Melbourne University Faculty of Economics & Business Foundation Dinner in Melbourne, Australia.

The AUD/JPY cross also gained ground as the Japanese Yen (JPY) declined sharply after the Mainichi Shimbun reported that Japanese Prime Minister (PM) Sanae Takaichi expressed concerns about further interest rate hikes during her meeting last week with the Bank of Japan (BoJ) Governor Kazuo Ueda. However, BoJ Governor Ueda stated that the discussion broadly covered economic and financial developments, adding that the Prime Minister made no specific monetary policy requests.

Japanese PM Takaichi is known for her pro-stimulus stance, backing expansionary fiscal measures and accommodative monetary policy. Her position clouds the outlook for BoJ rate hikes, amid speculation the central bank could resume policy normalization later this year.